Hello, Good Morning - Diddy Dirty Money, featuring T.I.

Today was my first day as Allison & Partner's new PR intern at the New York office. I didn't sleep very well last night in anticipation of the big day, and woke up at 6 AM; I work at 9 AM. I didn't get lost en route to the office, which is a clear sign that my sense of direction has improved immensely. I am so proud.

I got a tour of the office, was briefly introduced to everyone, and started my day off with A&P's weekly Monday meetings. All the "A&Pers" go around and give a quick synopsis of their plans for the week, clients they will be working with, and tasks they will be responsible for. The meeting was a "no-nonsense, get the information out, and let's get started five minutes ago" kind of meeting. Everything sounded as foreign as Swahili, but it was exciting to know that I'll be speaking their language soon enough.

I started working on accounts immediately, got familiarized with the media list-building software that A&P uses, and read lots and lots of articles. To be completely honest, I was really overwhelmed for a split second, and thought to myself, "Can I actually do this?" But before I could even answer the question, I was so immersed in my various tasks and excited to have so much responsibility that, by the time I glanced down at my watch, it was already 2 PM and I had forgotten to eat lunch! And trust me: I never forget to eat.

Around 3 o'clock, all of the exhaustion I should have felt from the Angela-filled, sleep deprived weekend wholly unloaded onto my eyelids. I tried to give myself a coffee-induced second wind, but unfortunately, it has resulted in subtle body convulsions, and I don't know how I'll fall asleep tonight. Lesson learned: the ratio of coffee grinds to water is not one (bag) to one (cup). I know that sounds so obvious, but when you're functioning at 30%, you do stupid things.

I have always been a firm believer of that contrived mantra: "Everything happens for a reason." Back in October, I picked up a seasonal position at Madewell in October on a complete whim, after I dragged Jay and Sean into the women's clothing store to buy a pair of earrings. McClain happened to walk into Madewell in November while I was working, we caught up, and she briefly told me about her job at this PR firm. A few weeks later, I emailed her, expressing interest in working in the PR industry. I went to Honduras for a month, and four days after returning, I hopped on the Megabus and interviewed at Allison & Partners. My friend Kelly, who I met on my first trip to Honduras, let me stay with her at her Brooklyn apartment overnight while I was in New York for my interview. Kelly, then, gets a job in Honduras, working for Students Helping Honduras. I, then, decide to move into her apartment and room, without a job and less than a handful of friends in the city. And today was my first day as a full-time PR intern at Allison & Partner's New York office. As hackneyed as that saying may be, it consistently proves to reign true.

My brain is slowly melting. It's time for bed. Another update soon to come, hopefully by the end of the week!

I love loving work. I love McClain Bell. I love Kelly Ryan. I love New York.

c.k.

Sidebar: "Hello, Good Morning" is significant because I played it this morning to amp myself up for my first day of big-girl work. Also, no pictures because I don't have the mental strength to google-image photos to go along with text. Sorry I'm not sorry.